Key Votes

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Vote Smart provides easy access to congressional and state voting records and maintains a collection of key votes grouped by issue. Vote Smart uses the following criteria to select key votes:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

Vote Smart provides a summary of the version of the bill text associated with each selected key vote. Our summaries are written by Vote Smart's staff and interns, who adhere to our strict policies and procedures in order to guarantee absolute impartiality and accuracy. They do not necessarily reflect the content of the final version of the bill, but rather the version voted on in that stage. While many procedural votes take place before a full chamber vote, our voting stages reflect the final reading of each chamber vote. Each key vote selection is reviewed by the project's community of advisors, who are political scientists and journalists from all fifty states.

For more information about the legislative process, see here.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
March 16, 2006 National S Amdt 3074 LIHEAP Funding Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49)
June 15, 2006 National HR 4939 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2006 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 1)
June 13, 2006 National HR 4939 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2006 Conference Report Adopted - House (351 - 67)
May 11, 2006 National HR 4297 Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (54 - 44)
May 10, 2006 National HR 4297 Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 Conference Report Adopted - House (244 - 185)
Sept. 29, 2006 National HR 5441 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act 2007 Conference Report Adopted - House (412 - 6)
May 4, 2006 National HR 4939 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2006 Bill Passed - Senate (77 - 21)
Feb. 2, 2006 National HR 4297 Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 Bill Passed - Senate (66 - 31)
May 18, 2006 National HR 5386 Interior Department FY2007 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - House (293 - 128)
March 16, 2006 National H J Res 47 Debt Limit Increase Resolution Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (52 - 48)
March 16, 2006 National HR 4939 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2006 Bill Passed - House (348 - 71)
March 16, 2006 National S Con Res 83 2007 Budget Resolution Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 49)
June 6, 2006 National HR 5441 Department of Homeland Security Appropriation Act, 2007 Bill Passed - House (389 - 9)
June 7, 2006 National HR 5521 Legislative Branch FY 2007 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - House (361 - 53)
June 9, 2006 National HR 5522 Foreign Operations and Export Finance Appropriation Act Bill Passed - House (373 - 34)
June 14, 2006 National HR 5576 Transportation, Treasury and Housing Appropriations Act Bill Passed - House (406 - 22)
June 22, 2006 National HR 4890 Line Item Veto Bill Bill Passed - House (247 - 172)
June 22, 2006 National HR 5638 Death/Estate Tax Amendment Bill Passed - House (269 - 156)
June 29, 2006 National HR 5672 Commerce Department Appropriations Bill FY 2006 Bill Passed - House (393 - 23)
July 29, 2006 National HR 5970 Death/Estate Tax and Minimum Wage Bill Bill Passed - House (230 - 180)
Aug. 3, 2006 National HR 5970 Death/Estate Tax and Minimum Wage Bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42)
March 16, 2006 National S Amdt 3103 Natural Resources and Environment Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 49)
Feb. 2, 2006 National S Amdt 2737 Military Funding and Tax Cuts Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 53)
March 14, 2006 National S Amdt 3013 Reinstate Pay-As-You-Go through 2011 Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (50 - 50)
Feb. 2, 2006 National S Amdt 2735 Tax Rate Extension Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 53)
March 16, 2006 National S Amdt 3103 Natural Resources and Environment Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 49)
March 16, 2006 National S Amdt 3071 Education Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 51)
Sept. 21, 2006 National S 2832 Appalachian Regional Development Act Amendments of 2006 Bill Failed - House (215 - 204)
Date No. Title Outcome
3/16 S Amdt 3074 LIHEAP Funding Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49)
6/15 HR 4939 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2006 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 1)
6/13 HR 4939 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2006 Conference Report Adopted - House (351 - 67)
5/11 HR 4297 Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (54 - 44)
5/10 HR 4297 Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 Conference Report Adopted - House (244 - 185)
9/29 HR 5441 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act 2007 Conference Report Adopted - House (412 - 6)
5/04 HR 4939 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2006 Bill Passed - Senate (77 - 21)
2/02 HR 4297 Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 Bill Passed - Senate (66 - 31)
5/18 HR 5386 Interior Department FY2007 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - House (293 - 128)
3/16 H J Res 47 Debt Limit Increase Resolution Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (52 - 48)
3/16 HR 4939 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2006 Bill Passed - House (348 - 71)
3/16 S Con Res 83 2007 Budget Resolution Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 49)
6/06 HR 5441 Department of Homeland Security Appropriation Act, 2007 Bill Passed - House (389 - 9)
6/07 HR 5521 Legislative Branch FY 2007 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - House (361 - 53)
6/09 HR 5522 Foreign Operations and Export Finance Appropriation Act Bill Passed - House (373 - 34)
6/14 HR 5576 Transportation, Treasury and Housing Appropriations Act Bill Passed - House (406 - 22)
6/22 HR 4890 Line Item Veto Bill Bill Passed - House (247 - 172)
6/22 HR 5638 Death/Estate Tax Amendment Bill Passed - House (269 - 156)
6/29 HR 5672 Commerce Department Appropriations Bill FY 2006 Bill Passed - House (393 - 23)
7/29 HR 5970 Death/Estate Tax and Minimum Wage Bill Bill Passed - House (230 - 180)
8/03 HR 5970 Death/Estate Tax and Minimum Wage Bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42)
3/16 S Amdt 3103 Natural Resources and Environment Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 49)
2/02 S Amdt 2737 Military Funding and Tax Cuts Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 53)
3/14 S Amdt 3013 Reinstate Pay-As-You-Go through 2011 Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (50 - 50)
2/02 S Amdt 2735 Tax Rate Extension Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 53)
3/16 S Amdt 3103 Natural Resources and Environment Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 49)
3/16 S Amdt 3071 Education Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 51)
9/21 S 2832 Appalachian Regional Development Act Amendments of 2006 Bill Failed - House (215 - 204)

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